For any coffee lover who happens to live or work in the vicinity of James Street in Fortitude Valley, the name ‘Jamie’ will most likely conjure up a familiar image – one of a bearded gent, with a unique sartorial bent, a love for coffee and a gregarious yet quirky nature. The eponymous owner of caffeine-infused nook Jamie’s Espresso Bar, Jamie Bellas has occupied the hole-in-the-wall locale on the corner of James and Robertson Streets for the past 13 years, during which time he has gained a devoted group of acolytes who swear by his espresso and laid-back vibe. Much to the delight of his regulars, Jamie has recently extended his hours to also become a casual evening watering hole. And true to form, he has a wealth of surprises up his sleeve that will no doubt ensure its place as one of Brisbane’s most coveted drinking spots.
One of the simultaneous blessings and burdens of being the proprietor of a popular coffee haunt who is also often the barista tending the coffee machine, is that you tend to know everyone. This is unerringly apparent when Jamie and I take repose on a couple of the milk crates that compose the open-air seating of his cafe, with passersby regularly stopping to bid Jamie hello.
For a fellow who often need only be referred to in conversation by his first name in order to be identified, his manner is surprisingly one of generally laid-back nonchalance. But while Jamie is well known to denizens of New Farm and Fortitude Valley as a purveyor of unwaveringly good espresso, the man himself at times might be perceived as somewhat of an enigma. In fact, when delving into the facts of Jamie’s life prior to opening his espresso bar at age 24, some interesting details come to light. First, there was his foray as a trombonist in the high-school concert band (a dream he abandoned after being dissatisfied with being relegated to 2nd trombone). Then there’s the accounting degree that he completed following high school, which, if nothing else, still serves him in the form of a lightning-quick ability to mentally add up multiple items when manning the till (his mum does his books now). And then there’s the time he spent playing semi-professional cricket in the UK, inspired by his childhood dream of being an opening Test cricket batsman for Australia.
In fact, it was in 1997, a few days after returning from his stint in the UK that Jamie, accepting that perhaps he wasn’t destined to don the pads for his nation, was presented with the opportunity to open his own cafe. His parents owned the building in Roberston Street where they had an art gallery upstairs. Wanting to put in a cafe underneath, they offered the space to Jamie, who at the time was at a loss as to what to do with his life.
In October 1998, Jamie fired up the machine for the first time. “When I started, I’d done a two-hour coffee-making course and that was it,” he recalls. “I got the machine delivered two weeks before I opened. I loved coffee and I kind of knew what a good coffee was, so I just invited all my family and friends down while the shop was being built so I could practise making coffees.”
When he first opened, the James Street Precinct was a seedy area populated by factories, S&M clubs, old petrol stations and unseemly watering holes. Reflecting on his first day of trade, Jamie admits that he may have possessed a touch of beginner’s luck. “I opened at 7:00 am and I’d sold three coffees in the first ten minutes, so I thought business was going to be so easy,” he laughs. “Then by the end of the day, I think I’d sold 10 coffees. And I was even quieter on the second day because my family didn’t turn up!”
But trade eventually picked up as word spread about the area’s newest espresso nook. “It was nice that it was slow to start off with, because I was inexperienced and it allowed me to develop my skills as the business grew,” Jamie says. “It’s like when you get a computer game and start off at level one, but if you play it for a year, you become the master. Not that I’m a master – I don’t purport to be the greatest coffee maker in the world, but I enjoy making it and the thing that makes me happiest is when people have a good time here.”
These days trade is steady, which Jamie quickly points out is thanks to his regulars – some of whom have been coming since the very beginning – who make daily visits to his cafe. “People are like the tides of the sea,” he muses. “Staff and customers will drift away – things change and people move on. But then it’s really nice when they come back again.”
On matters of success, Jamie allows himself a small touch of pride. “I think I’ve done a good job in my time,” he ventures. “I’ve stayed in business all this time. But also people come and enjoy themselves. I think I’ve only partly built it – all the customers who come in add a richness to my shop. I turn up to work each day, but it’s the staff and customers who add their own colour and atmosphere. That’s what makes it work. Shops like this exist all over the world, and it’s a lovely ritual for a person to serve coffee and for people to come and enjoy it.”
When pressed for the secret to his knack for remembering everyone’s preferred coffee, Jamie reveals no penchant for mnemonics or covert lists behind the counter. “I’m good at remembering people’s coffees – I generally don’t have to ask them more than twice,” he says. “But I’m not very good at names. Some people have been coming to my shop for years and we just kind of nod hello but I don’t know their name – I’m too embarrassed to ask after a while!”
Admitting to a great contentment for the life he has led thus far, Jamie pauses to think when asked about what his greatest challenge has been. “I guess one thing would be that, when you’re in a shop like this, you’re always in the public view,” he starts. “I started when I was 24 and so I’ve grown up here in front of people. I’ve experienced a wide range of emotions in that time and there’s nowhere to hide those because you’re always just a metre away from people.”
But as fate would have it, amongst those emotions was a particularly positive one, as it was whilst serving behind the counter that Jamie met and fell in love with his wife Phoebe, who was a regular customer. And theirs wasn’t the only romance to blossom within the confines of Jamie’s Espresso Bar. “People have met here and then ended up being married,” Jamie reveals proudly. “It’s weird now because children who were six years old when I first opened are now 19.”
After 13 years in business, Jamie still loves what he does. “It’s a real test of whether you enjoy your job to go away and then come back and still be excited to be there and see all the familiar faces,” he says. “I was away in Greece last month and when I came back it was a delight to be home.”
During that trip to Greece with Phoebe, whilst staying on the island of Crete, Jamie discovered a tiny cafe next to where they were staying. “I was really inspired by Yanni, the guy who owned the cafe, and how happy and contented he was with his work,” he reflects. “He was so happy serving people and I wish I could be like him. I feel like I’m part of the way there, but he was just so relaxed and content. Even though some people think I’m grumpy, I’m a relatively happy guy. I just love living the simplest possible life. I really enjoy pottering about the house and spending time with my friends, family and with my wife.”
A self-professed all-rounder in the kitchen, Jamie says he loves cooking but doesn’t get to do enough of it. He also reveals another talent for entertaining people. “I play the recorder very well,” he deadpans. “I can play ‘The Final Countdown’. And if someone says a song, I can usually play it within three minutes.”
As for the future, Jamie, now 37, is looking forward to having kids and perhaps one day, when his coffee days are over, pursuing a career breeding racehorses. But for now he’s excited for the next stage of his shop, which has just recently expanded its repertoire to become a casual watering hole in the afternoons and evenings – much to the delight of locals. With a few things up his sleeve that will be revealed in the coming months, Jamie is looking forward to seeing the bar hit its stride. “I think there’s a great atmosphere at my shop that’s unique, and people really enjoy it,” he says. “For many people it’s like their second home and it’s very rare to feel that. I think my shop will really fly over the next few years and become a very special little bar that hopefully makes Brisbane a better place to live.”